Insurers of the now defunct
Woolworths retailer may be facing a compensation claim worth millions of British pounds, now that the husband of an ex-cashier is
holding the company accountable
for his wife’s death. Betty
Westhead worked Woolworths’
Durham Market Place store
between 1947 to 1982 in Durham,
England. In the fall of 2009, she
began to develop breathing
problems and was diagnosed with
mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the
protective lining of the lungs, heart,
chest and abdomen that is caused
almost exclusively by prolonged
asbestos exposure.

Westhead passed away at the age
of 78 on June 23, 2010. Her
husband, Ivor, filed the claim
against Woolworths in the hopes of
doing justice for his wife and to
helping others who may have been
affected. Westhead’s attorney
says asbestos is known to have
been in the store ceiling and that
dozens of people may have been
exposed to the carcinogen during a
major refurbishment of the store
that took place in the 1960’s.
Because asbestos cancer takes an
average of 40 years to develop
and become symptomatic, the
timing of the exposure and the
diagnosis of Westhead’s illness
correlates well with her claim.

Over 100 people worked at the
Woolworths when the renovation
was taking place, and all of them
could be entitled to up to £100,000
each, and staff from other
Woolworths stores could also be
eligible if similar works were carried
out at their locations. However,
there is one obstacle that
Westhead and his legal
representation face: a lack of
witnesses. Because the renovation
took place in the 60’s, it is proving
difficult to find people who can
speak about the conditions in the
store during the renovation.

Mesothelioma is a fatal form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. With up to fifty years between exposure and development of mesothelioma symptoms, finding a better way to diagnose the deadly disease sooner is key to improving treatment options, quality of life, and possibly longevity for sufferers.

A new study conducted by a team of
German scientists found that by
examining samples of lung tissue for asbestos fibers that it might be possible to determine whether or not the patient will likely develop
mesothelioma (or other cancers
caused by asbestos) and possibly
when.

Mesothelioma is diagnosed in roughly 3,000 new patients a year in the United States. Worldwide the cancer kills an estimated 20 to 30 thousand people yearly. The disease is, so far, incurable and only the few patients diagnosed in the earliest stages of the disease respond well to various treatments.

Diagnosing mesothelioma before it progresses is essential yet challenging. Only 10 to 15 percent of mesothelioma patients are in stage 1 or stage 2 of the disease, meaning that most diagnoses come only after the disease has passed into stage 3.

Published in Recent Results in Cancer Research, the German team examined samples from several patients already diagnosed with the disease and found that “lung dust analyses are a relevant method for the determination of causation in mesothelioma.” Asbestos fibers can be viewed in the lung tissue
samples under examination with light and electron microscopes.

Comparing the overall amount and
type of asbestos fibers in the lung
tissue could very well predict whether or not a patient will develop cancer, how long it may take for symptoms to arise, and could possibly be used to determine which type of treatment
would best suit the patients.

Interestingly, the research also found that the median time between asbestos exposure and development of mesothelioma or other cancers had risen in Germany to 42.5 years. In addition, at least within the German population, people are being diagnosed later in life, making treatment all the more difficult.

While the study produced no definitive link between asbestos fiber counts and diagnosis of mesothelioma, it has
opened up a new realm of research in the fight against this deadly disease, helping scientists understand how the disease is caused and how it progresses.

Perhaps one day this discover could lead to a test that detects mesothelioma before
symptoms arise which could be
administered after suspected asbestos exposure.

One weekend a lawyer from New York decided to go bird hunting in
Vermont. The lawyer drove to
Vermont and found a good hunting
spot near a farm. The lawyer sees a
bird, shoots it and watches fall to the ground on the other side of the barns fence.

The lawyer, thinking to himself that's my bird I have to go get it, climbs the fence retrieves the bird and climbs back. Just as he gets back over the farmer comes up to him and says,
"give me my bird." The lawyer says to him " your bird no no no I shot this bird it is mine."

"No" says the farmer,"it landed on my property it is mine." "Look" says the lawyer, "I am a lawyer, I will sue you , you will lose and I will get the duck." "No" says the farmer, "that's not how we do it here in Vermont, we use the three kick rule."

"Ok" says the lawyer, how does that
work?" "I kick you three times as hard as I can, than you kick me as hard as you an three time and we keep going until one of us gives up." "Fine" says the lawyer, "let's go." "I'll go first" says the famer. So the famer kicks layer as hard as he can in the groin.

And just as lawyer is bent over in pain the famer kicks him right in the face. now just as the lawyer is thinking what did IU get myself into the farmer kicks him in the stomach. after the lawyer gets over the agonizing pain he says ok now it's my turn. No the farmer says, "I quit you can have the duck."

Types of Mesothelioma
An estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma in the United States each year. The most common form of mesothelioma is pleural mesothelioma, which affects the lungs, although there are other types of mesothelioma that affect the heart (pericardial mesothelioma) or abdominal cavity (peritoneal mesothelioma). Asbestos.net also has information on mesothelioma symptoms, how mesothelioma is diagnosed, the stages of mesothelioma, support groups, research, clinical trials, and much more risk factors

Mesothelioma Diagnosis
Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. As with most cancers, early diagnosis greatly increases the efficacy of treatment. Unfortunately, due to the way it forms, mesothelioma may not manifest until anywhere between 30 and 40 years after the initial exposure.

Mesothelioma symptoms are generally non-specific and resemble the signs of more common illness, such as flu, bronchitis, viral pneumonia and heart disease. Some common symptoms include shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, excessive coughing, chest or abdomen pain, weight loss and loss of appetite, among many others.

Usually it is the most common symptoms – breathing difficulties and shortness of breath – which prompt patients to consult with their doctor. It's crucial to disclose any history of exposure to asbestos, even if it occurred decades before, as this information can aid doctors in their diagnosis. Such disclosure can also prevent uncomfortable and expensive tests as well as making treatment more effective.

Mesothelioma Treatment
Typically, there are three main categories for treatment of mesothelioma: established therapies, experimental treatments, and holistic therapies. Often these treatments are not isolated-or used alone-but rather as a combination of treatments.

Conventional Mesothelioma Treatments include therapies such as surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin or alimta.

Experimental Mesothelioma Treatments, such as clinical trials, have shown encouraging results to date. Such treatments include photodynamic therapy, gene therapy, and immunotherapy, among others.

Holistic Therapies for Mesothelioma also known as alternative therapies, include methods such as massages, acupuncture, TENS therapy, aromatherapy, meditation, and yoga. Holistic mesothelioma therapies are a way in which to relieve the side effects associated with established therapies.

These and many other treatments may be available to you at the mesothelioma treatment center where you are being treated, however, it is also important to discuss all of the various options you might have with your doctor.

Mesothelioma and Veterans
Hundreds of thousands of U.S. military veterans were exposed to asbestos or products containing asbestos material during their service.

Due to the chemical, electric, and heat resistant characteristics, asbestos was widely used by every military branch prior to the 1970s.

Navy Veterans were perhaps the most susceptible to mesothelioma, asbestos cancer, or asbestos lung cancer, especially if they served between the 1930s and 1970s, as nearly every ship and shipyard built by the Navy was fitted with numerous asbestos containing materials.

Mesothelioma Legal Resources
The health hazards of asbestos exposure have been known as far back as the 1930s. For decades, companies have wrongfully used asbestos and exposed workers to the dangers of this carcinogen, with reckless disregard for the consequences. Many of those who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or asbestos cancer were needlessly exposed by another party, often without knowledge of the deadly risks faced.

With that in mind, one of the most important things that a person who has been diagnosed with one of these diseases can and should do immediately is contact a mesothelioma attorney with considerable experience in mesothelioma litigation to ensure that everything that can be done IS being done to help them on all fronts.

An important aspect of a mesothelioma lawsuit is recovery for medical costs and loss of income: Equally important, however, is the fact that without some form of punishment, many of these corporations who made a decision to knowingly harm their employees and those that used their products in exchange for a higher profit margin will not change the way that they do business.

Mesothelioma litigation may help victims receive compensation by the manufacturers and distributors of asbestos and asbestos containing products, as well as by companies or other employers who knowingly exposed their workers to asbestos.